I will share a true story.... My mom worked for the same small company in Maine for more than 18 years. About 15 months ago her boss unexpectedly cut her hours and responsibilities as he prepared to turn her role over to his son (he fired a lot of people as money became tight in this family run company). He finally let her go all together about a 6 weeks ago. She had been earning around $65k per year. Of course about 4 years ago she lost a substantial amount of her 401k as many others did. She turned 61 in August.

My mom refused to take unemployment and of course spent more of her savings to stay afloat, obviously she had a life-style she was used to and it mandated hefty car payments (Volvo) among other bills.

Last month she took a job for $11 an hour as a caterer for some hotel.....

I do believe this is what the President considers as a "job created" and you can count my mom among those 170,000 new jobs.

I say let's give the Repulicans a chance to finish what Bush started, and this time perhaps we can have a full on where's the soup kitchen depression! A party that made clear it's intent to make every effort to block every piece of legislation regardless of it's purpose in the interst of defeating Obama. Not exactly sure how that is governing for the people...

Top of list priorities;

>Another war in the middle east that we can't afford!...take your pick Iran or Syria. So they can channel moneys into the pockets of thier croonies who are the beneficiaries of "goverment contracts"...

>Continue to de-regulate in the interest of shareholder value.

>Continue to bust as many unions as possible in the interest of reducing the top 1% labor liabity, having to maintianing jobs is the USA.

>Fact...Entering the 2008 Elections...the distribution of wealth among US citizens was eerily close to the same dynamic that was at play before the great depression...

Sorry, been there, done that got that tee shirt.

It's a shame that Ron Paul has to align himslef with the republican party. He get's it, Rommeney & Ryan will only continue to perpetuate staus quo.

The definition of insanity...Continueing to do things the same way and expecting a different result.

Is it possible to put entire threads on ignore? Here's what I don't get. On every conceivable issue Obama is measurably to the right of Dwight Eisenhower, yet the Tea Party nut jobs call him a socialist. Does logic even exist in the American political discourse anymore?

1-Threads are easy to ignore. Just don't click on them.

2-Logic hasn't existed in our discourse for years. It's why independents run the country. You have 30-40% of the population that either votes left or right, and don't even bother to think about why.

3-Most of the people that vote for Obama, will simply pull the 'D' switch all the way down the page. Most of the candidates, they won't even recognize the name. Same with the right. Same with RS and NYY fans. They have a label, and they will vote that label no matter what.

Bill-806 thanks.... for me I was not pegging the blame to a single President. However when the current people in power run around telling us how many new jobs have been added there is much much much error there. I know some people who stopped looking after their benefits ran out to....

I will share a true story.... My mom worked for the same small company in Maine for more than 18 years. About 15 months ago her boss unexpectedly cut her hours and responsibilities as he prepared to turn her role over to his son (he fired a lot of people as money became tight in this family run company). He finally let her go all together about a 6 weeks ago. She had been earning around $65k per year. Of course about 4 years ago she lost a substantial amount of her 401k as many others did. She turned 61 in August.

My mom refused to take unemployment and of course spent more of her savings to stay afloat, obviously she had a life-style she was used to and it mandated hefty car payments (Volvo) among other bills.

Last month she took a job for $11 an hour as a caterer for some hotel.....

I do believe this is what the President considers as a "job created" and you can count my mom among those 170,000 new jobs.

Form your own opinion if you like to as why I told this story.

My thoughts are with you Enchi & family too. This story is being played out all over America...... The "BIG O" loves to blame Bush, however it is "clear to me" that the marathon man from Kenya is hell-bent on destroying the USA....... His latest remark "vote for revenge" is just another indication that the CIC wants to divide America to the fullest. If he gets another 4 years he will do just that !!!! If nothing else, it is going to be a wild 3 days coming !!!!

Hey, idiot, care to explain how President Obama is from Kenya? Oops, I forgot you are a complete moron and devoid of knowledge on every subject.

But I could use a laugh, so have a go and explain the President's nationality.

I will share a true story.... My mom worked for the same small company in Maine for more than 18 years. About 15 months ago her boss unexpectedly cut her hours and responsibilities as he prepared to turn her role over to his son (he fired a lot of people as money became tight in this family run company). He finally let her go all together about a 6 weeks ago. She had been earning around $65k per year. Of course about 4 years ago she lost a substantial amount of her 401k as many others did. She turned 61 in August.

My mom refused to take unemployment and of course spent more of her savings to stay afloat, obviously she had a life-style she was used to and it mandated hefty car payments (Volvo) among other bills.

Last month she took a job for $11 an hour as a caterer for some hotel.....

I do believe this is what the President considers as a "job created" and you can count my mom among those 170,000 new jobs.

Form your own opinion if you like to as why I told this story.

1-The market has recovered. If she lost a lot of money in the market when the Dow hit 6500, she should've made it all back at its current level.

2-She should've applied for unemployment. The state gouges her employer for that money. I know the NYS auditor on a first-name basis. It's not welfare, it is an insurance policy. In the 18 years she worked for her employer, he employer probably paid $12,000 or there abouts on her behalf. Plus some more to the fed out of her regular taxes. there is nothing wrong with claiming this money. It belongs to her.

Look the issue of how we got here is due to what was done back when Clinton was President and congress changed (loosened) the way people could buy homes. This created an influx of buyers who were inable to actually pay for their homes. EVERY one from gov't, banks, loan co., mortgage brokers, real estate agents to home owners jumped on the MONEY wagon. It was unsustainable and sooner or later it was going to fall apart especially when NO ONE who was supposed to be over seeing the financial institutions did their job. The housing bubble started the issues with the car companies as well as the banks.

WE ALL ARE TO BLAME. However for our own reasons we love to blame others.

Joe just because the market rebounded does not mean you always make your money back. You also have to do something (roll over) with your 401K once you no longer work for the same company. You hope to recover but it does not always work trust me been there done that got that T shirt.

You are absolutely right she should have taken the unemployment.

She should also look into taking her SS benfits when she turns 62. She can make up to a certain dollar value before they take taxes out. If she does not need that money she can still take it and use it to make money and when she turns 65 pay all that she took out back and start taking at the higher rate. So she made more from 62 to 65 and will take more from SS at 65. I'm doing it.

You are soooo right Softlaw returns. If Obama gets re-elected, he will continue his sworn life mission to increase govt. dependency to the point where the dependents ensure that the leftist government remains in power perpetually. The problem is of course, that more & more people will be sponging off of fewer & fewer productive people, who continually are required to increasingly "pay their fair share". Until they just say the heckl with it, and the govt runs out of, what Maggie Thatcher called "other people's money", and it all collapses. As it's doing in Europe now.
That's why this election is so important. It's the last chance to restore the country to what made us exceptional, and successful, and avoid the pitfalls of European style socialism, which have NEVER. EVER worked.

ps
If obama is re-elected, imagine the mess he'd "inherit" THIS TIME!...